Patent GB-392188-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to feeding biscuit shapes or the like to ovens or oven pans and the like
IPC: A21B5/02
Filed: 1931-11-11
Abstract: 392,188. Panning and delivery mechanism for biscuit and like machinery. BAKER, G. R. and BAKER PERKINS, Ltd., Hythe Road, Willesden, London. Nov. 11, 1931, No. 31287. [Class 87 (ii).] Some of the batches of biscuits and like articles delivered automatically from a cutting and moulding machine are transferred to positions offset from the direct line of delivery of the cutting-machine so that parallel batches are delivered simultaneously to delivery conveyers which feed several ovens from one cutting machine. Thus the cutting-machine can be worked at full capacity without being limited by the slower speed of the oven conveyers which is controlled by the time necessary for baking. In the illustrated machine the panning conveyer 32, Figs. 4 and 5, leading from the cutting-machine, delivers charges to each of three parallel conveyer bands 39 which in turn deliver to corresponding oven bands 40. The two outer bands 39 are supplied by shuttles A, B which are reciprocated laterally so as to register in turn with the conveyer 32 and with the corresponding conveyer 39. In operation, each shuttle is charged in turn and then returned to align with its conveyer 39, following which both shuttles and the panner blade 33 deliver the charges simultaneously to the conveyers 39. The latter are driven at the speed of the panner conveyer during the receipt of the batches, and at the speed of the oven bands during the subsequent transfer to them. Lateral movement of shuttles. The shuttle A is connected by linkage 79, 81, Fig. 5, to a loosely-mounted crank disc 82, Figs. 4, 5, 14 and 15, while the shuttle B is connected to a similar disc 87 through linkage 83, 84, 86. The crank discs are formed with two indentations 117 engaged and driven intermittently by pawls 108 carried by bevel wheels 112 gearing with bevel wheels 114 on the driving-shaft 41. A tailpiece 123, Fig. 16, engages a fixed stop 120 once during each revolution of the crank to swing the pawls out of engagement and stop the drive. A nose-piece 123 is engaged by a pivoted latch 119 to re-connect the drive when the latch is tilted forward by the action of the cam track 149 as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 14, but is not actuated when the latch is positioned as shown on the left of Fig. 14. The pinion 112 is geared to make three revolutions for each turn of the main shaft 41, and during the first half-revolution the crank is driven to bring the corresponding shuttle into alignment with the panning-conveyer. After disengagement by means of the stop 120 the crank is stationary until on the third halfrevolution the latch re-engages the pawl and effects the withdrawal of the shuttle. On the next circuit the latch misses the pawl so that during the last three half-revolutions the cranks are not driven. The other crank is operated similarly but in timed relation so that the shuttles are operated in turn. Longitudinal movement of shuttles for receiving and delivering the batches. The laterally-sliding frame carries rollers 49, Figs. 6 and 7, forming supports for a sliding sub-frame fitted with racks 52 geared to the driving pinion 61 through the compound spur train 59, 58, 53. The sub-frame, which carries the panner blade 51, can thus be moved backwards and forwards on the main laterally-sliding frame. A biscuitreceiving web 62 is connected at its ends to a framework 63 running on rollers on the subframe and fitted with racks 64 whereby it can be moved relatively to the sub-frame through the medium of the compound spur train 72, 71, 70, 66. Both sub-frames and webs are operated from a single cam-drum 88, Fig. 11, on the main driving-shaft 41, which reciprocates in timed relation four pivoted links carrying toothed quadrants. The first quadrant 93 gears with the pinion 61 operating the first sub-frame, while another one 98 gears with the pinion 72 operating the corresponding web. The other two quadrants operate the other sub-frame and web in a similar manner. At the delivery point in the cycle of operations, both subframes are moved rearwardly at the same time as the webs are moved forwardly. This delivers biscuits from both shuttles to the corresponding conveyer. At the next stage, while the shuttle A is being moved laterally into alignment with the panning-conveyer, its subframe moves forward again while the web moves backwards, while the sub-frame of the shuttle B is moved forward again but the web remains in its forward position. At the third stage, during which the shuttle A receives a batch of biscuits, the sub-frame of shuttle A continues its forward movement while the web also moves forward ; the sub-frame of shuttle B meanwhile also moving further forward while its web still remains at rest At the fourth stage, during which both shuttles are moved laterally, both sub-frames and webs are moved rearwardly. At the fifth stage shuttle B receives a batch of biscuits, both sub-frame and web moving forwardly, the subframe and web of shuttle A meanwhile remaining at rest. During the last stage while shuttle A still remains at rest and shuttle B is moved laterally into alignment with its delivery conveyer, both sub-frame and web of shuttle B are moved rearwardly to prepare for delivery on the re-commencement of the cycle. The cam-engaging rollers 99, Fig. 11, are adjustably mounted in slots on the toothed quadrants so that they can be set to vary the operation of the sub-frames and webs. Displacement of main panner blade for varying height of delivery occasioned by panning at one time direct to its corresponding conveyer and at another time to the shuttles. The main panner blade 33, Fig. 4, which is moved to-and-fro by a lever 35 and link 36 actuated by a cam (not shown), is pivoted at the rear end and is fitted with rollers 131, Fig. 20, riding on pivoted guide tracks 132 so that by rotating the tracks about the pivot 133, the height of the front end of the blade can be adjusted. Linkage 135, 136 operate by a cam-driven bell-crank 142 adjusts the tracks in timed relation to the movement of the shuttles. Variable - speed driving of the delivery conveyers. The delivery conveyers 39, Fig. 23, are all driven simultaneously from common geared driving-rolls 150, 151, the roller 150 being geared to a shaft 169 driven by a sprocket chain 165 actuated by bevel gear 167 from the main cam shaft 41. The chain is looped round sprockets 174, 175 on a reciprocating carriage actuated by a lever 180 from thecam 183 in the shaft 41. The movement of the lever 180 varies the extent of the re-entrant angle in the chain formed by the sprockets 174, 175 and this absorbs more or less of the chain payed out by the sprocket 166 with a corresponding diminution or increase in the speed of the conveyers. The lever 180 also reciprocates the carriage 158 carrying the panner blade 153 through the medium of the links 187 and lever 161. Variable adjustments are provided between the levers and links and for the sprocket chain. The conveyer bands pass from the rollers 150, 151 round a fixed rear roller 152, Fig. 4, thence over the panning blade 153 and back over a guide roller 154 to a roller 155 mounted on a reciprocating carriage 156, and finally over a fixed guide roller 157 back to the driving-rolls. The carriage carrying the roller 155 is connected by links 163 to the carriage 158 so that the roller 155 compensates for variation in the length of the main run of the belt produced by the movement of the carriage 158 relatively to the rear roller 152. Modifications in the general working of the plant. One of the shuttles A or B may be used alone instead of both, with suitable modification in the timing and driving of the apparatus. In a further modification, a single shuttle is adapted to receive two batches of biscuits side by side and deliver them simultaneously with a batch delivered direct from the main panning- mechanism. In this case the shuttle is moved laterally in stages to receive its charges in succession. In another modification the panner blades of the main panner and the shuttles are arranged to move in the same direction, that is they always move forwardly and rearwardly at the same time. Specification 328,915, [Class 87 (ii), Moulding plastic &c. substances], is referred to.